ngati
kapena ayi, umisiri wamakompyuta udzagwiritsidwa ntchito pamasankho ambiri
mwanjira ina kapena isanakwane. Kale, ngakhale mu osauka
Mayiko monga Nicaragua, mavoti apakati amagwiritsa ntchito makompyuta
kuyang'anira ndondomeko yowerengera. Brazil kuvota pogwiritsa ntchito makompyuta
machitidwe. Ku United States, anthu akuda nkhawa ndi chinyengo chachinyengo
akuyamba kumveketsa mawuโndi chifukwa chabwino. Thandizo la America
Vote Act (HAVA), yoperekedwa mu 2000, ndi Omnibus Appropriations
Bill, wovomerezedwa ndi Purezidenti Bush mu Okutobala 2002, adzakakamiza zisankho
Akuluakulu ku United States kuti agwiritse ntchito makina ovota pakompyuta
pa Januware 2006.
koma
mbiri yamakampani otsogola omwe amapereka zisankho zamakompyuta
machitidwe ku United States ndi okayikitsa. Makampani ngati Diebold,
ES&S, ndi Sequoia- omwe ali ndi msika wopitilira 80 peresenti
kwa machitidwe ovota okha ku US-onse adatsutsidwa
chifukwa chokhala ndi mavuto ndi makina awo. Kupatula mapulogalamu ndi
kuwonongeka kwa makina, nkhokwe zapakompyuta za ovota nazonso zimayambitsa
mavuto, monga pamene kampani ya Choicepoint data systems,
DBT, idayeretsa molakwika ovota oposa 90,000 ochokera ku Florida
mndandanda wa zisankho mu zisankho za 2000. Komanso,
kugwiritsa ntchito ma modemu kumasiya njira yotseguka kuti data isokonezedwe.
atatu
Mfundo zazikuluzikulu zimapambana pankhaniyi. Wothandizira makompyuta
mavoti amatsutsa kufunika kosintha mavoti kuti athandize kuvota
ndikukokera anthu ochulukira mundondomeko yachisankho. Othandizira ena,
monga Public Citizen's Congress Watch, nenani za HAVA, "Mu
m'njira zambiri, lamulo latsopano likuwonetsa gawo lofunikira pakuwongolera
kachitidwe ka zisankho ku United States. Nthawi yomweyo,
komabe, kulolerako kunasiya njira zina zowonjezera zomwe ziyenera
atengedwa kuti awonetsetse kuti voti iliyonse yawerengedwa ndipo ili ndi zina
za chitetezo cha voti zomwe sizothandiza kwa demokalase
ndondomeko."
otsutsa
sagwirizana kwambiri. Rebecca Mercuri, pulofesa wa sayansi yamakompyuta
ku Bryn Mawr College ku Pennsylvania, adafufuza pakompyuta
kuvota kwa zaka zopitilira khumi. Iye akuti, "Makina amagetsi athunthu
osapereka njira iliyonse yomwe wovota angatsimikizire kuti
kuponya voti kumafanana ndi zomwe zikujambulidwa, kutumizidwa, kapena
zolemba. Wopanga mapulogalamu aliyense amatha kulemba nambala yomwe ikuwonetsa chinthu chimodzi
pa zenera, amalemba chinthu china, ndi kusindikizanso zotsatira zina.
Palibe njira yodziwika yotsimikizira kuti izi sizikuchitika mkati
za ndondomeko ya mavoti.โ Mercuri ndi otsutsa ena amanena zimenezo
makina ovotera amagetsi popanda kusindikiza kwa munthu payekha kuti ayesedwe
ovota sapereka njira yowerengera yodziyimira payokha. Iwonso
funsani kusowa kwa ziphaso ku chitetezo cha makompyuta apadziko lonse
Miyezo yamagetsi ovotera. Nkhawa ina yaikulu ndi
machitidwewa ndikusintha ulamuliro kuchoka kwa oyang'anira zisankho
kwa ogwira ntchito pakompyuta.
Peter
G. Neumann wa Risks Forum, yemwe amayang'anira zovuta zamakompyuta,
akulemba kuti, "Tanena za zovuta za zisankho mu Software Engineering
Zolemba ndi Zowopsa kwa zaka zambiriโฆ. Tikuwona kuti makina okhomerera makadi
ndi zofowoka, ndipo ngakhale kuyang'ana kwamaso kumakhala kovuta,
koma makina amagetsi ojambulira mwachindunji amakhala omvera
ku kuthekera kwakukulu kwa chinyengo ndi chinyengo. Kuvota pa intaneti
ndi tsoka lomwe likudikirira kuchitika chifukwa cha chitetezo chokwanira
za intaneti, makina apakompyuta aumwini, ndi ma seva osinthika.
Malingaliro ovotera kuchokera pamakina owerengera okha ndiโฆ
zosafunidwa.โ
Othandizira
ya machitidwe ovota a makompyuta - omwe nthawi zambiri amakhala a mayiko akuluakulu
mabizinesi-amatsutsa kuti chitetezo ndi chabwino ndipo makina amagwirizana
ku mfundo za boma. Mwachitsanzo tsamba la kampani ya ES&S
akuti: โZogulitsa za ES&S zimayesedwa ndi kuyesa kodziyimira pawokha
ulamuliro, wovomerezeka kuti akwaniritse kapena kupitirira miyezo ya US
Federal Election Commission ndipo zatsimikiziridwa ndikutsimikiziridwa kudzera
adzagwiritsa ntchito masankho enieni padziko lonse lapansi.โ Peter Neumann
akuyankha zonena izi: "Federal Election Commission
Miyezo yomwe imagwiritsidwa ntchito nthawi zambiri ikuwoneka ngati ya m'ma 1990.
Njira yowunikiranso yomwe idagwiritsidwa ntchito pazosinthidwa za 2002
zinali zolakwika kwambiri ndipo ndemanga zambiri zowunikira zidanyalanyazidwa
pafupifupi kwathunthu. Zotsatira zake, miyezo yomwe yangovomerezedwa kumene
nzosakwanira kwenikweni.โ
Kuti
weruzani milandu yopikisanayi kuti muwone zochitika zenizeni zapadziko lapansi
zingathandize. Mu August 2002, zotsatira osachepera 18 wakunja kwatawuni Dallas
Chisankho chachigawo chinachedwetsedwa chifukwa cha mavuto owerengera mavoti pogwiritsa ntchito
Pulogalamu ya ES&S. The Nkhani za Dallas Morning report pa
glitch amatchedwa "Election Systems & Software, kampani
omwe adagulitsa zida zomwe zidalibe vuto m'chigawo chachinayi
zaka zapitazo."
Mavuto
mfulu? Izi ndi zomwe bungwe la zisankho ku Venezuela
anayenera kunena za ES&S mu Meyi 2000. "Ife timati ES&S yatero
sizinali zokwanira mokwanira poyesa zomwe zimayenera
kuti aperekeโฆBungwe la National Electoral Council silingavomereze
kulephera udindo kwa kampani imeneyi ya ku North America.โ
Chifukwa chake zisankho zaku Venezuela zomwe zidakonzedwa pa Meyi 28 chaka chimenecho zinali
kuthetsedwa. Mu Novembala 1998, makina ovotera a ES&S olakwika adagwiritsidwa ntchito
ku Hawaii pa tsiku lachisankho โkunapangitsa kuti Hawaii ikhale yoyamba
Ndemanga ya zisankho zadziko lonse komanso yoyamba m'mbiri ya United
Mayiko."
The
mavuto othandiza povota pakompyuta amalembedwa bwino. Petro
Neumann's Risks Forum imayika mndandanda wovuta wa zolakwika ndi zolephera.
Nkhani yaposachedwa kwambiri ya kampani ya Diebold's
pulogalamu yamasankho, yomwe idapezeka mwamwayi patsamba lotseguka, idatsitsidwa
ndi kuyesedwa ndi asayansi apakompyuta, zimatsimikizira kuti mantha ndi chitetezo
komanso kugwiritsa ntchito ma database ndi mapasiwedi apulogalamu ndizovomerezeka.
koma
kupatula zaukadaulo, kuvota pamakompyuta kumadzutsa zovuta zakale
za chikoka chosayenera ndi kusokoneza mu maonekedwe atsopano. Mu 1999, 22
anthu adatsutsidwa ku Louisiana (9 adavomera kuti ndi wolakwa) pachiphuphu chachikulu
chinyengo chokhudza kupeza mavoti a Sequoia. Sequoia
Mtsogoleri Wachigawo wa Pacific ndi mkulu wogulitsa malonda anali
akuimbidwa mlandu wopereka ziphuphu pafupifupi $8 miliyoni kwa Commissioner wa Louisiana
wa zisankho Jerry Fowler. Fowler anaweruzidwa zaka zoposa zinayi
m'ndende.
In
Makampani aku Georgia akumenyera mgwirizano wa $ 54 miliyoni kuti apereke
18,000 makina ovotera okhudza skrini. Pakati pa makontrakitala opikisana
ndi Diebold Election Systems ndi Northrop Grumann Diversified Dynamics.
Mtsogoleri wamkulu wa Diebold, Wally O'Dell, ndiwopereka ndalama zambiri
chipani cha Ohio Republican Party. (Atsogoleri a Ohio Democratic akufunafuna
kuletsa Diebold kuti apereke makina ovota ku boma.)
Northrop Grumman Corporation ndi kampani yayikulu yodzitetezera
amalumikizana ndi gulu la bizinesi la Carlyle, chisa cha ma Republican otchuka,
kuphatikizapo Purezidenti wakale George Bush.
The
kutengapo gawo kwa mabizinesi akuluakulu pakuwongolera nkhokwe zachisankho
ndipo kuwerengera mavoti sikunali kopanda demokalase.
Andale awona kusintha kwa mavoti monga momwe amachitira
onani malire akumaboma a zigawo zovota - mbali zonse
zamasewera a zisankho. Kwa anthu ambiri sanasangalale ndi ndale
ndi andale, dongosolo lakhala lilibe munthu m'modzi/voti imodzi
koma dola imodzi/voti imodzi.
The
Nkhani ya Senator Chuck Hagel ikuwonetsa zodetsa nkhawa
bizinesi ndi ndale. Mu 1996, Hagel adapambana mosayembekezereka
kupambana pachisankho chomwe kampani yake idapanga makompyuta
mavoti anali kuchita kuwerengera. Iye anali Republican woyamba
m'zaka 24 kuti apange Senate ku Nebraska. Mu 2002, Hagel anathamanganso
ndipo anasankhidwa ndi 83 peresenti ya mavoti. Thom Hartmann akuti,
โ80 peresenti ya mavoti amenewo anawerengedwa ndi makompyuta
makina ovota omwe akhazikitsidwa ndi kampani yogwirizana ndi Hagel:
yomangidwa ndi kampaniyo; opangidwa ndi kampaniyo; tchipisi tapatsidwa
ndi kampani imeneyo."
Motsutsa-kachitidwe
Zotsatira zinasintha Senate ya ma Republican pazisankho za 2002.
Ku Georgia Democrat wotchuka Max Cleland anali kutsogolera chisankho chisanachitike
mavoti 49 peresenti mpaka 44 peresenti. Mwachidziwitso, chiwongolero chake chinasanduka nthunzi
Patsiku lachisankho, 53% mpaka 46% yapambana
mdani wake Saxby Chambliss. Ku Georgia, Democrat Roy Barnes adatsogolera
Republican Sonny Perdue mu zisankho za 48 peresenti mpaka 39
peresenti. Komabe, Perdue adapambana ndi 52 peresenti ya mavoti otsutsana nawo
Barnes ndi 45 peresenti. Ku Minnesota, kutangotsala masiku ochepa kuti chisankho chichitike,
Walter Mondale wakale wa Democrat - yemwe adalowa m'malo mochedwa
imfa pa ngozi ya ndege ya mtsogoleri wa Democrat Senator Paul Wellstone - motsogoleredwa
Republican Norm Coleman ndi 47 peresenti mpaka 39 peresenti pamavoti.
Koma Coleman adapambana, 50 peresenti mpaka 47 peresenti. M'maboma onsewa amapangidwa pakompyuta
machitidwe ovota adagwiritsidwa ntchito kuwerengera mavoti ambiri. Zikuwoneka kwambiri
chodabwitsa, kunena pang'ono, kuti zisankho mu mayiko atatu ayenera
adachita bwino kwambiri.
yachilendo
kutenga nawo mbali m'makampani amenewo ndi nkhani ina. Sequoia ndi eni ake
ndi De La Rue, mabungwe achitetezo aku Britain omwe ali ndi a
masheya ochepa a Jefferson Smurfit Group okhala ku Dublin,
kampani ina yapadziko lonse lapansi. Chigwirizano cholembera mavoti a
asitikali aku US aperekedwa kwa Accenture, ku Bermuda
kampani yomwe kale inali gawo la gulu lowerengera la Andersen, mosamalitsa
adanyozedwa panthawi ya kugwa kwa Enron. Ma transnational awa amagwira ntchito
bwino ndi zokonda zabizinesi zomwe zikuyendetsa White
Nyumba.
The
umboni womwe ulipo ukuwonetsa kuti chisankho cha 2004 chingakhale chodabwitsa
ndipo, nthawi zambiri, amabera mosazindikira pogwiritsa ntchito makina apakompyuta
zoperekedwa ndikuyendetsedwa ndi makampani olumikizidwa ndi chipani cha Republican.
yatsopano
tekinoloje - yomwe ingathe kusokonezedwa - idzayikidwa
m'malo mwa HAVA. Chotsatiracho chisokonezedwe chidzaweruzidwa mu
makhothi, ngati zotsatira zotsutsana zifika mpaka pano. Chitetezo china
zikufunika kuti mupewe kupotoza mavoti:
kuwunika koyenera kwa nkhokwe kuti mupewe kuchotsedwa kovomerezeka
ovota;
thupi kafukufuku njira kuti anthu akhale otsimikiza osati kuti awo
mavoti amalembedwa molondola, koma kuti wina atsimikizire;
mfundo zolimba, zovomerezeka mwalamulo pamakompyuta onse
machitidwe ovota ndi makina osungira mavoti (osaganiziridwa
mu HAVA, yomwe imapatsa mphamvu ma Electoral Standards Boards kuti akwaniritse
"Malangizo odzifunira" osamveka bwino;
mapulogalamu otseguka, osagwirizana ndi eni ake pamakina onsewa.
A
lipoti laposachedwa lochokera ku yunivesite ya Johns Hopkins pa mavoti apakompyuta
machitidwe adamaliza motere: โโฆpali kusiyana pang'ono panjira
code imapangidwira makina ovota poyerekeza ndi malonda ena
kuyesetsa. M'malo mwake, timakhulupirira kuti njira yotseguka ingachitike
pakukula mosamala kwambiri monga asayansi ambiri, akatswiri opanga mapulogalamu,
olimbikitsa ndale, ndi ena omwe amalemekeza demokalase yawo akanatero
kukhala kulabadira khalidwe la mapulogalamu ntchito zawo
zisankhoโฆnjira zotseguka zotere zakhala zothandiza kwambiri
mapulojekiti oyambira kulimbikira kwambiriโฆkupitilira zazikulu kwambiri
ndi machitidwe ovuta monga kusunga makina ogwiritsira ntchito Linux. "
Phil
Hughes amayendetsa tsamba la World-Watch, lomwe limafotokoza za chikhalidwe, ndale,
ndi mbali zazachuma za Linux ndi mapulogalamu otseguka omwe si eni eni ake.
Akufotokoza kuti, "Linux ndi njira yaulere komanso yotseguka
opangidwa ndi anthu padziko lonse lapansi. Linux ndi mapulogalamu ambiri
mapulogalamu olembedwera Linux amapangidwa pansi pa mgwirizano wa layisensi.
Palibe amene ali ndi ufulu wodziwa zambiri zamalondaโฆ
โIcho
zingatenge pafupifupi miyezi isanu ndi umodzi kupanga zisankho zaulere zaulere
mapulogalamu mu Linux. Mwachiwonekere pangafunike kuyesa. Koma zambiri
mapulogalamu opangira zisankho omwe apangidwa ndi malonda akuwonekerabe
mavuto ngakhale zaka zambiri ntchito. Linux idzachita bwinoko
ndi kukhala odalirika chifukwa ndi gwero lotseguka, lopezeka kwa aliyense.โ
Free,
zotsegulidwa kwa aliyense? Zimamveka ngati mavoti apakompyuta
zosowa za msika, ndi kufulumira.
Toni Solo ndi
wogwirizira yemwe amakhala ku Central America.